Gernot Minke
Building with Earth
Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture
Written in response to an increasing world-
wide interest in building with earth, this
handbook deals with earth as a building
material, and provides a survey of all of its
applications and construction techniques,
including the relevant physical data, while
explaining its specific qualities and the pos-
sibilities of optimising them. No theoretical
treatise, however, can substitute for practical
experience involving actually building with
earth. The data and experiences and the
specific realisations of earth construction
contained in this volume may be used as
guidelines for a variety of construction
processes and possible applications by engi-
neers, architects, entrepreneurs, craftsmen
and public policy-makers who find them-
selves attempting, either from desire or
necessity, to come to terms with humanity's
oldest building material.
Notes
One of the most complete and up to date (2010) handbooks around this subject available.
This volume is loosely based on the German
publication Das neue Lehmbau-Handbuch
(Publisher: Ökobuch Verlag, Staufen), first
published in 1994 and now in its sixth
edition. Of this publication a Spanish and
a Russian edition have also appeared.
While this is first and foremost a technical
book, the introductory chapter also provides
the reader with a short survey on the history
of earth architecture. In addition it describes
the historical and future roles of earth as a
building material, and lists all of the signifi-
cant characteristics that distinguish earth
from common industrialised building materi-
als. A major recent discovery, that earth can
be used to balance indoor climate, is
explained in greater detail.
The book's final chapter deserves special
mention insofar as it depicts a number of
representative earth buildings from various
regions of the world. These constructions
demonstrate the impressive versatility of
earth architecture and the many different
uses of the building material earth.
Kassel, February 2006
Gernot Minke
Reviews
Subject: What an amazing book!
Subject: Complete
Its accessible style and obvious practical background make it extremely useful for the home builder, government officer or Aid Project Manager.
Design assess or build an entire city :)
